Ian: Your new album, ‘I Thought I Would Be Somewhere Else By Now’, arrives January 29th. It’s a title that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. When did you realise it perfectly captured the feeling behind this record?
ViVii: The title came after we had finished the album, when we started looking at it as a whole. It felt like a way of bringing together everything we had been through while making it. Life has taken a different shape from what we once imagined, in both good and difficult ways. In some areas, we’ve come further than we ever expected; in others, we’re nowhere near where we thought we would be. The title holds all of that for us. But we also wanted to leave room for people to hear the record, read those words and make their own connections.
Ian: The album title comes from the realisation that you might already be exactly where you’re supposed to be, rather than still working towards some future version of yourselves. Do you feel genuinely happy with where life has brought you, or is there still a sense of restlessness and wanting something more?
ViVii: Both feelings can exist at the same time. There are things we’re deeply grateful for, and things that have been much harder than we could have imagined. We don’t think acceptance necessarily means feeling completely content or no longer wanting anything more. Maybe it means being able to recognise what is good while being honest about what is difficult. The title holds a question for us as much as a realisation.
Ian: Your latest single, ‘Down the River’, offers fans another glimpse into the album. What’s the story behind the track, and what made it the right song to introduce this new chapter of ViVii?
ViVii: ‘Down the River’ grew out of some very personal experiences, but it reaches towards the bigger questions about life: where it takes us, what we can control and how we keep going when we don’t have the answers. We’d rather leave the specific story open so listeners can find their own meaning in it. Musically, it carries that feeling of a journey too. It begins in one place and takes an unexpected turn. That made it feel like a meaningful way to share this album, because so much of the record comes from navigating changes we couldn’t have foreseen.
Ian: Dream pop often creates a beautiful contrast between atmospheric, sometimes melancholic sounds and deeply emotional lyrics. How do you approach that balance when writing music, and does the mood of a song usually come from the lyrics or the music first?
ViVii: We almost always begin with the music. Anders usually has an idea on the guitar, and we build a melody around it. Once the melody and the shape of the song are there, we start writing the lyrics. We rarely decide beforehand what a song should be about. The music and the feeling lead us there. A lot of the lyrics on this record grew out of difficult experiences over the past few years. We try to find words that feel true to those experiences while leaving enough space for someone else to recognise their own life in them.
Ian: Having spent years making music together, how has your creative relationship evolved? Do you find yourselves approaching songwriting differently now compared to when ViVii first began?
ViVii: This album asked us to find a different way of working together. Because of circumstances in our personal lives, we couldn’t meet as often as we usually do. We sent a lot of music back and forth and worked separately before bringing our ideas together. It was a difficult process at times, and we missed being in the same room. But we found ways to keep the songs moving between us. After these past few years, we’re very happy that we managed to finish the album at all. That means a lot to us.
Ian: Looking at the album as a whole, does I Thought I Would Be Somewhere Else By Now feel like a reflection on the past, an acceptance of the present, or an exploration of what the future might hold?
ViVii: There is a bit of all three in it. The songs carry things we’ve been through, but we made them while those experiences were still shaping our everyday lives. There wasn’t always enough distance to look back and understand everything. Finishing the album gave us a chance to pause and recognise where we are. The future is still open. We don’t have a neat conclusion, and we think the title leaves room for that too.
Ian: Is there a particular song on the new album that feels especially personal to you, perhaps one that captures something about your lives or experiences that you haven’t expressed in your music before?
ViVii: “Down the River” is very special to all of us. It holds a lot emotionally, and the way it came together makes it special too. Anders wrote the initial idea, which has something of a prelude about it, and his brother created and produced the second part, where the song takes a completely different direction. It was a lovely collaboration. At six minutes long, the song has room to unfold and take you somewhere. It feels like a journey, both musically and personally.
Ian: With the album arriving on January 29th, can fans expect any more singles or music videos in the lead-up to its release? Are there any tracks you’re particularly excited for listeners to discover?
ViVii: Yes! “You Go I Go” comes out on November 11th, 2026, and “Bad Years” will be the focus track when the album arrives on January 29th, 2027. We’re excited for people to hear the whole record. The singles offer different ways into it, but hearing the songs together is something we’re really looking forward to sharing.
Ian: How are you feeling about bringing these new songs to the stage? Can fans expect a tour announcement soon, and will the upcoming live shows feature a different sound or atmosphere compared to previous ViVii performances? We’re really looking forward to it. After a period when so much of our work happened separately, getting together and playing these songs feels especially meaningful.
Ian: We’ll be touring Norway and Sweden in March 2027. We’re excited to discover how the new songs feel on stage and how they sit alongside our older music. There’s always something that happens when we play together in front of people that we can’t fully anticipate in the studio.
Ian: Finally, looking ahead to the rest of the year, what does the next chapter of ViVii look like? Beyond the new album, are there any collaborations, or other creative plans you can tease for fans?
ViVii: Right now, releasing this album and taking it on the road feels like a big next chapter in itself. It took a lot to get here, so we want to give ourselves time to enjoy sharing it and meeting the people who listen to our music. Beyond that, we’ll see where things lead. Making this record has reminded us that we can keep creating together even when life changes the way we have to work. We’re happy to be moving forward with it.
‘I Thought I Would Be Somewhere Else By Now’ Out January 29 Via Dumont Dumont
https://idol-io.ffm.to/ithoughtiwouldbesomewhereelsebynow
Press shot by Rikkard Häggbom
Words – Ian Mc Donnell @mcgigmusic